Christmas surprises all around
by age4age4
Summary: As the holiday season approaches, a depressed Joey realizes that besides her two small children, she really has nothing to be that thankful for...that is until an old friend comes back in town. P/J
1. Chapter 1

***

"Another year gone by, another Christmas to deal with."

Letting out a sigh, Joey turned from the window she was looking out of, and began to study the Christmas tree that sit in the middle of the B&B.

Unlike, in past years before, Bessie and her had decided that this year they'd get an artificial one. The kind you'd find at 'Home Depot' or at  
'Lowes' perhaps, but in their small plan to save a little money, they'd stumbled on a little bump...without the piney scent of a real tree, and  
without the sight of certain Christmas presents underneath the tree, it just made Joey remember that this wasn't a 'real' Christmas. In fact, it was a Christmas that she'd be spending alone.

Sighing once again, Joey moved her eyes back towards the woods outside, watching as the snow fell to the ground, as the wind moved the trees from side to side, and as her brother-in-law parked the cars of the guests who were staying at their resort for the holidays. It was a beautiful sight to see, if she thought about it, but as of right now, nothing was really beautiful to her, not even the decorations that she was supposed to be hanging up at the moment.

"Hey, whatcha thinking about, kiddo?"

Turning around to face her older sister, who was in the process of hanging stockings above the chimney fire, Joey shrugged. "I was just wondering what Tommy and Sam were doing, that's all."

"Well," Bessie began, not bothering to turn her head from what she was doing. "why don't you go in the kitchen and found out for yourself?"

As the words left Bessie's lips, Joey gave her older sister a confused look, followed by a questioning look, before a small smile brightened her face causing her to practically bolt out of her seat by the window, and run towards the kitchen in hopes of seeing the two people who mattered most to her.

"Tommy, Sam..are you-"

As Joey rounded the corner to the kitchen, she stopped in mid-sentence as she saw not only her two children, Tommy and Sam, seated at the kitchen table eating Christmas cookies, but also Dawson....her ex-husband.

"Dawson?"

Dawson, who had been listening to his children ramble on and on about what they wanted for Christmas, jumped as he heard Joey come up from behind him.

Turning around to face his ex wife, he smiled hesitantly. "Joey..."

"Dawson.." Joey repeated, continuing to stare at him..or rather through him. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

Dawson opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off as his son began talking.

"Daddy says that we can stay with you for Xmas, Mommy. He says that you look lonely."

Not bothering to move her eyes from Dawson, who seemed to be blushing at the moment, Joey raised an eyebrow in questioning at her son. "Is that so? What else did 'Daddy' say?"

"He said that he wanted to sweeten you up before-" Tommy began, eager to tell his daddy's secret, but was cut off as Dawson interrupted.

"Um, how about we have this conversation outside..alone."

In normal circumstances Joey would've smiled, or better yet, laughed at seeing her ex-husband squirm uncomfortably, but at her son's use of  
'sweeten up', she knew she would soon be in no mood to do either.

Rolling her eyes, she grabbed her coat that was draped across one of the chairs at the table, and made her way towards the front door of the B&B, giving Dawson a 'ready when you are' look over her shoulder.

Not wanting Joey to get upset before she heard his news, Dawson quickly picked up his jacket, that was hung on the back of his chair, before  
turning to Tommy and Sam, who were absentmindedly eating their mommie's famous peanut butter cookies, and giving them a 'false' smile. "Your mommy and I will be right outside if you need us."

Tommy and Sam both rolled their eyes at their father, a trait they picked up from their mother, before going back to their cookies.

"Oh boy!" Dawson muttered under his breath before following Joey out the door.

*****

Joey didn't stop walking until she made it to the dock in front of the B&B, she figured if Dawson's talk with her got out of hand then the water below would break his fall.

Turning around, she raised a questioning eyebrow at him, before asking him the question that was on her mind. "What do you want in return?"

Dawson squirmed at the bluntness of her question, before replying. "What makes you think I want anything in return?"

"Quit the bullshit, Dawson." Joey replied, giving Dawson an 'I'm too tired for this' glare. "Unfortunately, I know you, and I know for a fact that  
you love our kids just as much as I do, and wouldn't give up one of your holiday stays just for me. So, what is it? What do you want in return for letting Sam and Tommy stay with me for the holidays?"

Dawson opened his mouth to deny her words, but then figured it'd be best just to tell her the truth..for once.

"Gretchen and I are getting married, and we want Sam and Tommy to be in the wedding."


	2. Chapter 2

"Then he announced that he and Gretchen were getting married and that he wanted Tommy and Sam to be in it with them."

"Ouch. So, what happened next?"

Shrugging a little, Joey took another dish out of the sink, and rinsed the soap off of it completely before cradling the cordless phone deeper into the nook of her neck; afterwords replying: "Nothing. I said _fine_, then came back inside to find Sam and Tommy passed out on the living room floor. Dawson left shortly afterwords."

"Fortunately enough." Jen quipped, causing Joey to mentally nod to herself; having thought exactly the same thing as her friend had. "But are you really going to let the kids go? I mean, if I was you I wouldn't even let them go to the creep's funeral, let alone his wedding."

"True." Joey replied, "But no matter how much of a creep we think he is, I can't just say _no_ to him. I mean, he is their father and they have a right be in his wedding....if they want to be, that is."

"Also true. But how are you going to tell them that? Or better yet, when is Dawson going to tell me about the wedding? I want to be ready to turn down his invitation and laugh right in his face."

She knew it was wrong, but Joey couldn't help but laugh at Jen's statement. If anyone ever overheard Jen's thoughts on Dawson they would've thought that Jen hated him...but really it was just the opposite.

Jen loved Dawson, she really did, she just hated what he had done to Joey and figured that a few wisecracks about the blonde was small in comparison to the months that the man had cheated on his, now, ex wife; the mother of his children.

A fact which still confused everyone till this day.

"Well, I don't know when Dawson will get around to telling you of his upcoming nuptials, and I really don't know how I'm going to bring up the subject of marriage to the kids, but I do know one thing and that is if I don't hang up with you soon, I'll be paying for Andrew's next phone bill. Something that I am not even in the mood to think about right now."

As a male voice was heard through the phone, and Jen's slight giggle was heard as well, Joey figured that Jen was being told the exact same thing from someone else. "I see how it is. Anyway Jo, I'll call you back sometime next week when my slave of a husband isn't breathing over my shoulder. Just keep me updated on the wedding from hell?"

Smiling a little, Joey nodded to herself, "Will do. Kiss Andrew for me."

"Will do. Bye Jo."

After saying her good-bye, Joey waited for Jen to hang up the phone before she took both hands out of the soapy sink, draining it in the process, and hung up the cordless; feeling slightly better than she had before the conversation.

_Jen always knew how to cheer me up._

Turning off the light beside her, Joey made her way out of the kitchen and down the hallway towards her guest bedroom; only stopping once to check in Alexander's room, where she had placed her angels, making sure they both were still sleeping.

They were.

* * *

It was six o'clock the next morning when she felt, rather than saw, someone come into her room and turn the bedside light on beside her.

"Jo. Wake up."

"Bessie, I just went to sleep a few hours ago and will no doubt be having to play _Nice Ladie_ with the guest downstairs, so unless this is an emergency I am not opening my eyes for anything."

Bessie sighed. "This _is_ an emergency. One of our new employees caught a redeye and I was supposed to wake up an hour ago to pick him up from the airport, but I overslept and the truck isn't working."

"So take my car." Joey said, tiredly, trying to snuggle further under the covers; knowing the sooner Bess left, the sooner she'd get back to sleep, "The keys are on the dresser."

"Okay." Bessie said, even though Joey could tell, with her eyes shut, that she wasn't moving any closer in the direction of her night stand. "But I just thought you might want to pick Pacey up from the airport yourself. You know, maybe reminisce a little before he has to start helping out around here."

It took her a couple seconds, but when Joey finally registered in her head what Bessie had said, she opened her eyes and threw the comforter off of her face, "Wait a minute, Pacey Witter's going to be working here?"

Smiling at the change in Joey's demeanor, Bessie nodded, "He's coming here and working till New Year's Eve. Then he said something about a wedding, although he promised me he wasn't going to be the one getting hitched, after that it's up in the air as to whether or not he's staying in Capeside."

Letting it all sink in, Joey cringed at the word _wedding_; remembering she still hadn't told her sister about Dawson.

Weighing the pro's and con's, she wondered to herself if she really should tell her sister about Dawson and their earlier conversation, but knowing if she told her sister now she'd have to put up with hours and hours of babying, she figured she'd wait until later.

That way stopping the oncoming advice before it could get there.

"So, what airport is Pacey flying into?"

"Umm.."

Joey noticed her sister was taking a step backwards and immediately raised an eyebrow at it, "Bessie..."

"Logan International."

"In **boston**?" Bessie moved closer to the door in mock shock as Joey's eyes widened and she snatched the covers off of her body. "Shit, that's going to take me practically two hours to get to."

"One if you hurry." Bessie encouraged, but at the angry glare Joey was throwing her, she realized it was best to just shut up. "On that note, I'll let you go and don't worry about the kids, I'll watch them until you and Pace get back."

"Thanks Bess..thanks a lot." Joey said sarcastically, but knew it was all in vain as she let out the small smile, that wanted to come over her face, at the thought of meeting up with her old friend again.

_He always did have a way of getting her to smile._ Bessie thought to herself as she exited the room; leaving Joey to her frantic changing.

* * *

Rushing through the security checkpoint, Joey scanned the hallway in front of her; hoping to immediately see the familiar lanky body she'd grown up with.

"Where is he? I hope he didn't already catch a cab."

Having been so lost in thought, Joey didn't realize someone was trying to get her attention until he was literally standing next to her.

"Joey."

Hearing the familiar voice behind her, Joey jumped a little before turning around and practically letting her jaw drop towards the ground, "Pacey?"

**

Next part soon. (I'm so evil)


End file.
